


And they were roommates

by originofabsolution



Category: The Thick of It (TV)
Genre: Adam is an arse, But Fergus loves him for it, But living together ramps that up, M/M, Modern day lockdown setting, Probably a bit oc again, Sexual Tension ?, They can and will end up wearing each others clothes by the end of this, They're pretty platonic already, other characters will be added, some domestic moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28902108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/originofabsolution/pseuds/originofabsolution
Summary: The lib dem gays work from home n get all domestic.---I've changed the title 3 times now and it's finally a meme and perfect.Disclaimer- Not meant in anyway to romanticise this whole lockdown thing. They're literally just gonna be stuck in the same house for a while.
Relationships: Adam Kenyon/Fergus Williams
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> Just again want to say that this fic is going to be just Adam and Fergus sharing a flat and enjoying each others company. It's just set in the present so it's somewhat relatable to people staying at home. And this is inspired by a post on twitter about DoSAC zoom meetings which made me laugh. So those will be included at some point too.  
> If anything about this makes anyone uncomfortable please let me know and I'll take it down. Stay safe! :)

When the national lockdown was first announced Fergus let out a sigh of relief, glad that the necessary action was taking place to protect people. He was also very keen to not have to see any Tories in person for the next few months. Though the more he thought about it, he realised how shit it would be. He'd be in his small dull apartment which he barely cared enough about to decorate, working there, living there and not leaving. How would he not go insane? And begrudgingly the most irritating part of this was that he'd not be able to see Adam.  


The past few weeks had been weird enough, with the whole social distancing affair, which again had been a godsend to keep Peter and Phil as far away from him as possible. But being 2 meters away from Adam wasn't right. The comforting touches and playful jabs were absent and Fergus found himself missing them. And now he'd only be able to see his special advisor through a screen.  


If that problem wasn't enough, Fergus' landlord also decided now would be a great time to be a selfish prick and threaten him about paying on time or he'd be thrown out. Not the kind of attitude Fergus needed when being unsure about the importance of his job. They could easily make half of DoSAC redundant as they do fuck all.  


He'd explained all this to Adam over a late night phone call, which eventually turned into an early morning call when they finally hung up and went to bed at 2am.

Fergus was sitting on his couch in the dark, only the streetlights outside providing light to his small living room. There had been some rerun on the TV that he wasn't really paying attention to. It was all background noise whenever Adam was involved.  


"I don't know what to do Adam, I fucking hate it here and my landlord is a cock." Fergus sighed, the anxiety of being alone setting in more. It wasn't the same talking to Adam like this.  


On the other side of the call, Adam was making his third cup of coffee for the evening, keeping him awake to rearrange their schedules for the next week. But really he knew the need to stay awake wasn't to do with work.  


He leant against the counter, his phone on speaker beside him as he spoke. "Not being funny, but you can't cook. And you're not gonna last on baked beans on toast. Your house looks like a fucking dump too. I doubt the others would be nice about you living in a drug den, very professional."  


"Ha ha. Well thanks mate, I know I'm fucked but you didn't have to rub it in." Fergus frowned in defeat, he wasn't in the mood to have his friend laugh at his problems.  


Without a thought Adam replied "You could always, you know, move in with me?"  


"What?"   


"Well it would solve your problems. You wouldn't have the shitty landlord, I can cook, my house is actually decent and you'd have some company." Adam actually realised what he said and took the opportunity to convince himself as much as Fergus that this would be beneficial and helpful work-wise.  


Fergus pondered the suggestion, looking around at his empty and really quite depressing apartment. He'd been to Adam's place many times and it was much nicer than this, even if he did have a nosy neighbour across the street who he swear owned binoculars to spy on him.  


"I suppose it's not a bad idea. Have you got enough room for me?"  


"It's one bedroom but we can figure something out. There's plenty of room to work separately."

"Pff it's not like we work apart anyway, you're always in my office."

"True, you'll be in mine now though."

Despite the flutter in his chest that Adam would let him live with him, Fergus couldn't help seeing the problems in doing so. Most importantly the fact that they are both politicians being watched by the press. Even though opinions on LGBT+ people had improved greatly over the years, it was guaranteed that journalists and the public wouldn't be kind.  


The line went quiet for a while as he considered this. Maybe Adam was thinking the same thing. After biting his nails he mumbled "Adam?"  


"Yeah?" he replied instantly, his tone curious.  


"We're gonna have to be careful. I don't think journalism is essential but we can't risk people knowing that we live together." Fergus explained, despite him wanting to be carefree with Adam, they needed to put their careers first.  


"I know." Adam shifted with a slight frown, also wanting to openly enjoy being with Fergus. But he'd be prepared to protect him whatever happened. "And don't worry, I have a few favours with the Mail if it comes to that."  


So just like that Fergus and Adam made the decision to move in together for the lockdown. 


	2. Day 1

After several infuriating phone calls with his landlord and a few trips to take his boxes to Adam's, Fergus stood in the living room of his new home. They'd been quick about getting everything sorted before the lockdown became law as it wouldn't look professional for the junior minister of DoSAC and his advisor to be travelling across London for something so non essential, though the media would love it, another politician to point fingers at and complain about.   


"You can put your stuff anywhere, there's loads of space on the shelves and you can use some of my wardrobe for your shirts if you want." Adam gestured vaguely around the room, not really needing to give Fergus a tour.   


"Well it's either that or screw them up and make it look like I don't wake up in time for meetings."   


"I do have an ironing board you tit, I wouldn't let you go to work looking like a mess." Adam looked at Fergus fondly, adjusting the other man's hood of his very casual jacket. It was still weird to see each other out of suits and in normal clothing. Something about it felt intimate, as they were actually spending time together other than working.   


Fergus smiled at Adam, his dimples showing. "Thank you. Not just for that but, y'know letting me stay here."

"Don't thank me just yet, you're staying on the couch." Adam smirked, his hand lingering on Fergus' shoulder before he disappeared into the kitchen.   


"Arsehole." Fergus muttered under his breath, though still smiling. He set about unpacking his boxes. Most of his belongings from the old flat hadn't been touched in months and could probably be thrown out. He guessed it'd be something to do if he were ever bored here, and packed them anyway. So he began on his most used items, clothes, his laptop, a few small potted plants and his extensive collection of old vinyl records. He combined these with Adam's own records and his DVDs, chuckling when sorting through the TV cabinet as he found a secret stash of rom-coms.   


"Oh god what shit are you putting in there?" Adam teased, having just returned from hanging up Fergus' shirts in his wardrobe.   


"A few classics uh, The Goonies, The Lost Boys, Back to the Future. A few action films, comedy, oh The Inbetweeners, Emma got me that for secret santa last year." Fergus told him, completely ignoring the group of musicals he shoved into the cupboard too, Adam would never stop taking the piss out of him if he saw them. But at least now he had blackmail about Adam's rom-coms.   


"Bloody hell, what happened to these?!" Adam exclaimed suddenly. Fergus turned around to see him inspecting the small potted plants. Admittedly he hadn't cared for them very well as he barely spent time in his old flat, so they looked a little dehydrated and sad.   


"I don't know." he mumbled in response, feeling slightly guilty as the plants were a gift from Adam after he visited for the first time and was utterly disappointed with the lack of decoration in his home.   


"I'll put you with the others, we'll get you looking fine again." Adam talked to the plants, causing Fergus to snicker at the surprisingly soft tone he used. 

*

When the evening came on their first night together in their shared home, it was at first like a lads sleepover. They were hyper and excited to be in each other's company, eating junk food and playing a few video games on Adam's xbox.   


From Adam being more experienced, having owned the games console, it was obvious that he won consistently much to Fergus' despair. They'd moved onto Mario Kart on his Nintendo Switch by this point, and Fergus thought he'd have a chance having owned a Wii many years ago, but no.   


"You fucker! What did you do that for?" Fergus exclaimed as Adam threw a red shell directly at Fergus.   


"Couldn't risk you winning." Adam had a smug look on his face as he crossed the finish line in 1st yet again.   


They were sitting side by side on the sofa, the blankets and pillows which would make up Fergus' bed placed around them. As well as a large bowl or doritos on the coffee table which was untouched by Adam, unlike Fergus who grabbed a few to soothe every lost race.   


"I haven't won a game since we started, I don't think you'd be that butthurt after losing just once." Fergus slumped on the sofa with his arms crossed, clearly sulking.   


"You're giving up?" Adam eyed him with amusement.   


When Fergus huffed but didn't reply, Adam took the opportunity to press him further with a playful jab in the side, making Fergus jump and tighten his crossed arms. "Can you not win a race, Fergus? You're too slow."   


Adam nudged closer to his friend, intent on needling him to the boiling point he knew was coming. Unlike his work colleagues, Fergus didn't get angry at Adam, more frustrated to the point that he'd put Adam back in his place. It looked good from an authority point of view, his boss reminding him of his position, but really they both knew Adam enjoyed it.   


Fergus was very aware of what was happening, they'd done it before many times, Adam pushing his buttons until he snapped. The anger he'd have for others was always calmed by the closeness of Adam, as on this evening he managed to get so close that one of his legs was nearly on top of Fergus'. He'd also leaned close enough so that Adam was all he could see.   


"You've lost all evening Fergie, I'm the winner. It's like squash all over again, uh what else, cricket, that time we played footba-  _ shiT!"  _ Adam began reeling off everything he was better at until he landed with a lump on the floor, with Fergus grasping his shirt in his fists.   


Looking up at Fergus' face, Adam could see that he was tinged red and clenching his teeth. ' _ Just a little bit more _ ' he thought to himself.   


"Hey Fergus." Adam smirked, receiving a glare as a warning. "You're stuck with me now."   


Despite Adam's intentions, this made Fergus calm down as he realised that he'd be with this unbearably irritating man for the foreseeable future.   


"I know." he replied with an overly fond tone, gathering the courage to thread his hand through Adam's partially silver hair.   


Adam's features softened at the touch, almost frozen at the different approach Fergus was taking to their ' _ playfighting'.  _ Though it wasn't all that different, just less spiteful and more affectionate.   


In response Adam placed his hand over Fergus' and nuzzled into it. Then bringing it closer so that he could place a tentative kiss on his wrist.   


Sure they'd kissed many times before, often without thinking about the repercussions or what it actually meant. Adam could replay every time in his head. Mainly Adam pressed kisses on Fergus' hand or wrist when the minister was nervous, or a quick kiss on the shoulder after reading that one of their policies had made it through. Fergus rarely kissed Adam, though when he did he'd always be drunk or tipsy to give himself strength or an excuse to do so.   


"What're you thinking, Fergs? I can see your brain actually working for once." Adam questioned after several minutes of whatever the hell was going on. Despite the contentment from nuzzling Fergus' hand which still ran through his hair, his back wasn't in the most comfortable position.

"Bugger off. I'm just thinking about how much of a tit you are." Fergus lied with a smile, not so secretly enjoying Adam's surprisingly soft side, even though he was still insulting him.   


"Of course you're thinking about tits." Adam teased, knowing Fergus' face would go red.   


"Shut up, Adam." he laughed. "Anyway what are you thinking about?"   


"Don't take the piss, but my back feels like it's gonna snap in half." Adam admitted.   


At the confession Fergus apologised quickly and raised himself back up onto the sofa, pulling Adam up with him. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that they couldn't stay closer for longer, but the small piece of carpet in between the sofa and coffee table wasn't the best place for… what? Hugging?   


More silence followed this, both men sitting beside each other as the moment was lost. Adam was first to clear his throat and speak. "I might try and get some sleep now, we've got to sort out how we're gonna join the meetings tomorrow."   


"Yea- good, good. I'll see what I can do here then." Fergus yanked his blankets further onto the sofa and began to arrange his new bed.   


"See you tomorrow then." Adam stood, ruffling Fergus' hair and running off to his room before Fergus had the chance to slap him or pin him down again.


	3. Day 2

At 7:10AM Fergus woke to loud banging of pans coming from the kitchen. He instantly recoiled and hid under his blankets to try and sleep more. He hadn't had the best sleep, he guessed this was expected considering he was sleeping on a sofa that was a little too small for him to fit on, with his legs raised over the arm if he were to stretch out to his full height. Fergus dreamt of nothing in particular as most of his time was spent trying not to roll over and fall off the sofa. Perhaps he could sneak into Adam's bed for a nap when he decided to go out shopping for food, though that probably wouldn't happen today.  


The clanging of pots and pans got louder as Adam approached the living room. Already showered and dressed in his suit. Though he ditched the jacket and tie for now, rolling up his shirt sleeves so he wouldn't spill anything on them whilst making breakfast.  


"Wakey wakey, we've got shit to do today." Adam announced, he abandoned the pans on the coffee table so that he could stand like a disapproving mother with his hands on his hips.  


Fergus peered out from the blankets, "Are you always this energetic when you wake up?" he groaned, feeling quite groggy.  


Adam nodded, even though he got up even earlier than usual to witness Fergus like this. His light curly hair was an absolute mess, which in his head Adam would admit was kind of cute. He'd also wondered what Fergus would sleep in, not that he was hoping to see him shirtless or anything, they'd seen each other many times whilst in the changing rooms after playing squash. He was just curious.  


"I'm making bacon rolls for breakfast. We'll eat on the balcony so you can get sorted in here."  


Fergus couldn't help feeling a bit soft at that. Adam making him breakfast was probably the best option though as Fergus basically lived on beans on toast if he couldn't order a takeaway.  


He sat up and stretched his arms with a yawn, the blanket trailing down his chest. Much to Adam's delight and embarrassment, Fergus was in fact shirtless. He was a little pudgy compared to Adam but still maintained some muscle in his arms from playing squash. His chest also was covered in short dark hair.  


As he cracked his back, Fergus met Adam's eyes and clocked his distracted expression. It was quite flattering really, unless he was staring in some contorted version of disgust.  


"Can I have an egg with my bacon roll?" he diverted, interested to see whether he'd listen.  


"What? Oh- yeah, course. I'll go do that." Adam gave him a double thumbs up and began to leave the room until he realised he forgot the pans he'd need to cook with.  


Fergus stood up and gathered his socks, pants and trousers which he'd change into, then his shirt from Adam's wardrobe. After finding a towel he headed off for a quick shower, to try and look somewhat alive for his first virtual day at work. 

*

As Fergus showered, Adam finished cooking and set out their breakfasts on his balcony. It was a tiny area with only a round table big enough for the two chairs that sat around it. The view wasn't the best, surrounded by other apartment buildings and what was usually a busy street below. He'd decorated the small area with a few plants as it was the only place in the flat that they'd get enough light. Fergus' shockingly unhealthy plants joined his own and he thought that once they recovered they'd look quite nice as a group.  


Despite it being early, the sun was already up and warming the balcony. It wasn't often that Adam spent time sitting out here during the day as he'd normally be in the office. Though in the evenings when he'd get home late, he'd lounge with a beer, close his eyes and listen to the busy city around him. After putting up with the tories all day it was a moment of peace that he savoured.  


"This would be a nice spot for a candlelit dinner, don't you think?" Fergus considered as he approached, nudging Adam's feet off his chair.  


"We should have one." Adam said between bites of his bacon roll. "Beats trying to eat a roast dinner on the sofa."

Fergus studied his delicious looking breakfast with a smile, usually he'd rely on a coffee or maybe a bowl of cornflakes in the morning.  


"I'd like that." he agreed, munching on his roll. He could definitely get used to this. 

*

As time passed and their first work meeting grew closer, the two became more anxious that the others would figure out that they were living together. They'd planned on calling in separate rooms, Fergus at the desk in the bedroom so he'd look most professional and Adam would be sat on the sofa, clear of all blankets and pillows from the night before.  


They assumed the distance would be enough so there would be no feedback in the call, and with the doors closed to both rooms it wouldn't be suspicious at all. Though as Fergus would be calling from Adam's room, there couldn't be anything in the shot which would be his.  


"Phil would never let you live this down." Fergus laughed as he found a vintage star wars figure still in its original packaging on Adam's wardrobe.  


"I had it as a kid. My dad wouldn't let me take it out." Adam grumbled and shoved the box under his bed.  


The room was quite spacious, a double bed in the centre with enough space for a wardrobe, shelves, drawers and a desk around it. Despite the ribbing which Adam gave daily to Phil for being such a nerd, it was surprising that Adam actually was quite dorky. Fergus found many other items which Phil would kill for as they sorted through his shelves, including other figures, cinema tickets and an assortment of scented candles, which he decided he'd definitely be using at some point.  


"Holy shit, Adam. Is that you?!" Fergus laughed as he picked up a framed picture of a group of people in tight neon clothes at some kind of party. He thought he could pick out Adam in the group, but he looked so young.  


Adam leant over his shoulder to look at the photo. He stifled a laugh and his cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. That was not something he'd planned on anyone ever seeing.  


"Yup, just there. I think that was my last year at uni." Adam pointed at himself in the photo, hoping that Fergus would move on.  


But he didn't, he studied the photo closer. Something about the way that the a beside him had his arm around his waist wasn't what he expected. Having been in that situation himself, it seemed all too familiar.  


"Who's that?" He asked, wondering whether Adam would tell him the truth or not. Either way, he knew Adam was bi from the moment they met.  


"Tom, I think his name was Tom. You know what raves were like in the 90s, get drunk, do coke, party, fuck whoever. Nothing important." Adam rambles, grabbing other photo frames from his shelves before Fergus could interrogate him on them too.  


"That explains the neon at least." Fergus hums, surprised he got that much out of him. He hands the picture to Adam who stacks them in another drawer. "You know you could put them up still? Just somewhere else like in the living room."  


Adam checked the shelves again for anything that was recognisable as his. "No, it's fine. But we should get ready, they're expecting us in 15 minutes. Just sort yourself out there." Adam dismissed, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.  


"Bye for now then, Fergus." the minister said to himself sarcastically and set up his laptop on the desk.  


It wasn't really a 15 minute job, opening the laptop and clicking on zoom. So instead of twiddling his thumbs waiting for everyone to turn up, he sat on Adam's bed and opened the drawer with his photos in. It couldn't hurt to be a little curious, they were on display for a reason right?  


The first photo included a cricket team which Adam was a part of. Him and Fergus had played a few times and this was proof that Adam was better at it, perhaps they'd have to go out and try it more at some point. There was the rave photo again, a few of the same university group and especially with Tom. Then the final picture at the bottom of the stack which he flipped over was of them, Adam and Fergus. It was from a DoSAC Christmas party a few years ago, the two of them standing very close as they smiled for the photo. By the look in their eyes they had drunk a lot already, and from what he could remember they'd spent the evening dancing, talking and irritating the tories together as they couldn't stand sitting and listening to Peter and the others.  


Despite Adam clearly wanting to keep these photos secret, Fergus picked this one up and placed it back on the shelf. It was the only one that linked to him, and in truth it was a lovely photo. The rest were put back in the drawer and he went back to the desk and waited for what would be an eventful online call with intolerable people… and Adam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter! It really means a lot that you're enjoying this. x :)


	4. Day 3

Their call the day before was short and bland. They had waited half an hour for Peter to arrive, who had to enlist his daughter to help set up the computer and tell him where the camera was, so that he wouldn't have the webcam aimed at his crotch. Before he turned up, snivelling about technology, Adam and Fergus had the pleasure of Phil and Emma's company, as Stewart was having a home crisis trying to work with his cats.   


Phil spent his time being an insufferable twat, causing Adam to develop some kind of withdrawal from being able to throw things at him. Verbal assault wasn't quite the same on a call either.   


They hadn't managed to get much work done, the duration or the call filled with insults and accusations of incompetence. So Fergus and Adam buggered off to work by themselves, which is how they spent the rest of the day, sat on the sofa with a mess of papers scattered around. 

*

The morning was much the same, Adam waking Fergus up then making them breakfast before setting up for various meetings.

Though today Fergus had a plan, to get Emma on board with the idea they'd thought up last night. They'd need to get through to her to allow it to stand a chance of being accepted by Mannion.   


As Fergus knew Adam would be busy trying to connect with Emma to win her over, he'd planned a call with his mum. Usually he would go and visit her once a month, have a little time off in the countryside and rant to her about the hectic London life.   


Even though he couldn't visit her in person, at least there was now a reason for her to use the iPad he bought her for Christmas last year. Though Fergus knew once she got the hang of it that she would be stalking his colleagues and commenting on everything to do with Adam.   


She loved Adam, though she scolded him for swearing and being overly aggressive towards the tories. Fergus had brought Adam to his mother's house several times, when he felt like his advisor needed some time away too, or because Adam insisted for whatever reason. Fergus was convinced it was because he knew Mrs Williams' adoration of him irritated him.   


Despite her denial on the matter, Fergus' mum was also immensely invested in his love life. He knew she had a bet going with her book club about who and when something will happen. Which is something he put no thought into when he chose to move in with Adam.   


Fergus placed his laptop on his lap and tried to adjust the camera to the least suspicious angle, with the wall and door behind him, leaving no traces of his new home. With this set he called and on the first ring his mother answered, the camera pointed up at the ceiling.  


"Nice to see you've repainted." he commented, nudging her to fix the angle. Fergus loved his mum's hair, it was ginger, thick and curly even at her age. Though he was glad that his own had become lighter over the years, than the similar orange he'd had in his youth.   


"Well I've got to keep myself busy somehow." she replied, following her son's gaze to her surprisingly decent attempt at painting her ceiling.   


"Did your book club sort out the whole online reading thing?"   


"Yes, it's quite clever, I can change the text size so it's much easier to read. Wouldn't get that from a paperback!" she told him joyfully.   


"Very true." Fergus nodded.   


"So, how are you?"   


"Fine, work's a bastard as always." he rolled his eyes, not wanting to get any further into it for his mother to find out he was technically meant to be working at that moment.   


"How's the flat?"   


Fergus' eyes went wide and he studied his reflection and surroundings, there was nothing telling about where he was. "Sorry, what, what do you mean?"   


"The boiler wasn't working properly when we last spoke…" she explained slowly, suspicious of such a reaction.   


"Oh, that yeah it's sorted. All good." he gave her his fake overexaggerated interview smile.   


His mother took a moment to glare at him, seeing whether he'd buckle and confess. "Fergus what are you hiding from me?"   


Fergus sighed, knowing she wouldn't let his slip up go until she had the answer. "Fine. Just don't overreact, I've moved in with Adam."

Her eyebrows flew up, almost comically high with surprise then excitement.   


" _ Finally _ , oh Geraldine you owe me £20  _ ahaha _ " she laughed and made a mental note to call her best friend and bask in her win.   


"£20?!" Fergus exclaimed.   


"We upped the stakes a little." she shrugged "So?? What's the news? Are you together?"   


"No mum. Much like every other time you've asked." he grumbled, not in the mood for her teasing, especially when he was living with said person.   


"Sure. Are you sleeping on the sofa then?"   


"Yup, my back is deformed."

"Just do what Adam did the last time you were here." she suggested innocently.   


"What?"   


She raised her eyebrows and glared at her son knowingly. Though he wasn't willing to give up more than she may already know, so he glared back, trying not to let his embarrassment colour his ears.   


"It's okay, Fergus. You know you weren't any good at hiding your boyfriends in the first place." she tried to joke and lighten the concern and worry that clouded her son's face.   


At this, his cheeks burnt up and he rested his head in his hands. He really hadn't tried to hide his sexuality from his mother, it just became an unspoken thing which neither brought up as it seemed better that way.   


"You never minded?" Fergus' question was muffled by his hands.   


His mum shook her head with a fond smile, "Never, you were happy and didn't want to intervene or make you uncomfortable."   


Fergus took a moment to process the acceptance, a similar smile appearing. "Thank you." he replied, a little teary.   


"Now." she clapped her hands, eager to dig into the part of Fergus' life she never dared to ask about. "Adam."   


"Mummm." he complained with a laugh. "Just… keep it down yeah? He's working next door."   


"You'd be great together Ferg, I've said it so many times and I know you've thought I've been teasing but seriously. You wouldn't have lasted in politics if it wasn't for him."   


"Thanks for believing in my success, really appreciate it." Fergus replied sarcastically.   


"What happened with him when you visited last year anyway? I don't want to pry but, that's what made me assume you'd finally got together."   


Fergus sighed, replaying the evening in his head. "If I'm honest I don't really know. He was acting weird all day then in the middle of the night he just… ended up in my bed."

"You were both on edge and emotional, the enquiry took it out of you." she sympathised, remembering how tired the pair were when they arrived.   


"I think he meant it in a comforting way. We don't usually, I don't know, this is weird to talk about. We don't cuddle or anything, nothing as soft how he hugged me that night." he spoke quickly, feeling unusually embarrassed in front of her.   


"You looked very content."   


"It was different."   


His mother hummed, sensing he was still very unsure where he and Adam were in their- what she and Geraldine had dubbed- platonic relationship.   


Despite Fergus' accusations of her spreading rumours about him around the book club, she had merely shown them a TV interview which he appeared on. They'd noticed the way he'd look off screen at Adam for reassurance when answering particular questions and how the advisor fussed over him during the break.   


Fergus wasn't paying attention when the door opened behind him, still in a haze of confusion over his mother's support and his friendship with Adam.   


"Mrs Williams! Fergie didn't tell me you were calling." Adam exclaimed with surprise as he noticed her on the screen. He then bent down over Fergus' shoulder to fit in the shot so he could be seen. "How are you keeping?"   


Fergus gulped as he looked between his and Adam's reflection to his mother's, wondering how she felt about all this.   


All he knew was that he had some thinking to do, a lot of thinking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for your lovely comments and the kudos, I hope you're still enjoying this! There's more fluff to come. :)


	5. Day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooking breakfast with gay subtext

It was nice to catch up with Fergus' mum, Adam thought as he lounged in bed the morning after. He'd always had a good connection with her and she was somewhat his motherly figure, considering his own family situation wasn't the best.   


They'd fallen out over many things, his choice in friends, uni, job, lifestyle. Near enough everything that he did was somehow wrong in their eyes and when he finally decided he was done with their criticism, he came out publicly as bisexual. It was a ballsy move and a big fuck you to his parents. Even more so that he was still in his government position at the time, so it could have gone a whole lot worse than a few lectures from people higher up on being more discreet with personal matters.   


Fergus was beside him through the whole thing, as he had suspicions about Adam's sexuality since they first met. So he wasn't surprised and was immensely supportive. Adam made it very clear that he'd support his mate if he were to come out too, but that was met with a blunt nod then an overly enthusiastic laugh. Though Adam guessed that Fergus was trusting him enough already by being so close to him and allowing Adam to fuss over him as if they were together.   


"I'd better go and wake the lazy bastard up." he mumbled to himself through a yawn before rolling out of bed.   


As he headed to the living room, there was a loud clang in the kitchen, followed by a muffled " _ shit _ ". So he stopped and turned around, instead investigating the kitchen as quietly as possible.   


He poked his head through the door to see Fergus attempting to make breakfast. The place was a mess, with various ingredients and utensils thrown across the countertops, the fridge door wide open and sizzling could be heard from whatever he was frying.   


As for Fergus, Adam noticed that he hadn't got dressed yet, leaving him with only his pyjama trousers on. Probably not the best idea as the burning hot grease from his pan kept spitting out and landing on his bare skin. Adam felt like advising him of this, but decided that he'd enjoy the show instead.   


He seemed to have attempted several meals in the time that Adam spent lounging in bed. There were 2 empty cereal bowls, several plates with overdone eggs, bacon, burnt toast, all which Adam hoped Fergus planned on throwing away rather than feeding him.   


As he crept into the kitchen more, so that he could lean against the door frame to watch, he wondered why Fergus was making such an effort to make breakfast. They'd somewhat agreed that Adam would be the cook and Fergus could maybe make some microwave noodles or something every now and then. Maybe he wanted to pay Adam back for letting him stay? Or it could be a joke, to create the worst breakfast ever for a laugh?  


In a moment of distraction he pondered the shapes of the other man's back. And briefly he felt the urge to run his finger down his spine, landing and the small of his back, then pressing a kiss behind his ear. He'd then envelop Fergus in a hug from behind, resting his head on his shoulder as he took the piss out of whatever was in the pan.   


But he wouldn't do that. If he did Fergus would probably spontaneously combust. So instead he grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl beside him and launched it at the back of the other man's head. It hit, then dropped down Fergus' back and squelched on the floor.   


He spun around too quickly, nearly slipping on the orange. The tips of his ears turned bright red as he looked at Adam's humoured smile.   


Fergus bit his lip, considering what to say. He settled on: "Fuck you."

"Thank you." Adam let out a brief laugh. "What the hell have you done to my kitchen?"   


He wandered over to firstly shut the fridge door, then to gather the used utensils and pile them in the sink to wash later.   


Fergus sighed, taking the pan which was cooking his third attempt at bacon off the heat. Finally giving up after around an hour of trying different things. Frustrated and embarrassed, he ignored Adam's question and began to clean up the wasted food and the orange from the floor.   


"Hey, what's wrong?" Adam prodded, noticing the deflation of Fergus' face and body.   


"I just… wanted to do something nice for you. You're always there looking out for me, so." Fergus shrugged, not meeting Adam's gaze.   


"So you decided to blow up my kitchen."

"For fucks sake, I'm going for a shower." Fergus snapped, not comfortable after admitting vulnerability. He began to storm off but Adam grabbed his arm and spun him back around. " _ What? _ " he asked, unimpressed.   


"I was going to ask if you wanted me to teach you how to make something. But I might not bother if you're gonna be such a twat." Adam told him, the insult an attempt to lighten the mood.   


"How nice of you to offer." Fergus replied sarcastically, now slightly distracted that Adam hadn't let go of his arm.   


Adam followed Fergus' gaze to where his hand was wrapped around his wrist. He loosened his grip, enough that Fergus could pull away if he wanted, but instead he let Adam caress where his fingers had just been jabbing into his skin.   


"Pancakes?" Adam suggested, his expression guilty from putting his friend on edge. His eyes were big and pleading, leaving Fergus nodding in agreement.

He sighed, placing his hand on top of Adam's. "Just as long as you don't take the piss out of me, okay?"   


"I'll try my best." Adam replied with a cheeky smile, making Fergus light up too.   


After cleaning up the mess, the two set about making pancakes. Adam gathered the ingredients and instructed Fergus what to do with them.   


Whilst they were making the batter, Adam started to lose his patience again, Fergus was listening but his technique was all wrong. So he nudged him to take over and show him how to whisk properly.   


"You've gotta whisk with your wrist, like this." Adam demonstrated, whisking the batter quickly and efficiently. "Then once it's light and fluffy we can chuck it in the pan."

"Of course you're good with your wrist, Adam." Fergus teased with a mischievous smile to try and catch Adam off guard.   


But what he hadn't thought was that Adam had expected this joke and replied without missing a beat. "Wouldn't you like to know."   


"Uh… _ no _ ." Fergus stuttered out, escaping to the other side of the kitchen to hide his bright red cheeks. He checked in several cupboards for absolutely no reason at all.   


"What're you looking for?" Adam questioned, stifling a laugh as he watched the other man open and close the cupboards, humming to himself as if he were actually considering what he needed.   


"My will to live, thank you very much."   


"Who knew that flirting with me was that bad." Adam pondered wistfully, checking the batter once more, deciding it was ready to fry.   


"All your exes I suppose." Fergus answered, turning back to Adam as his cheeks had finally recovered. "And literally any woman in the office."

" _ Pfft, _ if we're competing about flirting with women then you're the worst. Remember that economist that came in and you hugged her and  _ lifted her up!  _ That was painful." Adam shuddered at the memory. The whole day was a trainwreck and that was the cringy icing on top.   


"Well, at least I don't have a daily cock-measuring competition with  _ Phil _ . You know Emma thinks you've hooked up right?" Fergus laughed, making Adam laugh too at the fact that would never happen, Phil probably hated him because he was bisexual anyway.

Adam poured a little bit of the mixture into the pan, looking over his shoulder to beckon Fergus over to watch and learn.   


"Hmm, what else? There was that time when I took you to that pride parade and you looked like you were gonna explode."   


"Only because I wasn't expecting there to be so many gimps! That man literally sat on my foot! Everything else was actually enjoyable." Fergus defended. It was quite a fun day out, under the cover of helping Adam take pride in his sexuality, Fergus looked like a supportive friend and progressive junior minister. Though a few people assumed they were a couple, it made his stomach flutter that those people would be okay with them being together.   


"I think I've still got some photos on my phone." Adam flipped the pancake and another funny memory entered his mind. "Remember when you turned up in a suit?! A fucking suit to go to pride." he cackled.   


Fergus looked at Adam fondly, quite flattered that a memory of him dressed like a fool could make him laugh so much. "I wanted to look professional just in case the press noticed me!"   


"Yeah and you'd have been made into a meme online." The first pancake was done and placed onto a plate, he handed the spatula over to Fergus and poured some of the batter for him.   


"I know it's a bit late, but do you want your shirt back? I think it's still in one of the boxes somewhere." Adam had made him change as he refused to be seen with him if he looked like someone's reluctant and marginally homophobic uncle.   


"Nah, it looked better on you anyway." Adam paused. "You're doing well by the way, just flip it to do the other side and you'll have your first pancake."

"I don't know if that was genuine or patronising-  _ fucking hell!  _ Why does it keep doing that?!" Fergus exclaimed after flipping the pancake, once again the pan spitting hot oil onto his skin.   


"You've got to be gentle. And probably wear a shirt or something next time you twat." Adam shook his head with concern at his friend's lack of common sense. He then took the opportunity to inspect the possible marks on Fergus' chest, finding that there were none and that he probably just smelt like bacon and whatever else had attacked him previously.   


"It's not my fault the weather's hot and your living room is a fucking sauna." Fergus commented "At least you have a window to open in your room, I can't leave the balcony doors open."

"You can sleep in my room if you want." Adam suggested without really thinking. His eyes going wide once he realised what he'd said.   


"Um, I don't think you'd want me kicking you in my sleep. And I know you snore so…"   


"Yeah, yeah. Your pancake is done by the way."

And with that, Fergus plated up his pancake and disappeared into the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be my favourite chapter yet. Thanks again for the comments and kudos, I hope this is still enjoyable :D


End file.
